Biography
Born in 1860 to William H. and Maria Vanderbilt, Eliza (Lila) Osgood Vanderbilt was considered the least known of their eight children. At the age of 17, Lila met Seward Webb, a 26-year-old medical student. They married in 1881 and had four children.
Lila and her husband, Dr. Seward Webb, began acquiring farmland on the shores of Lake Champlain in 1886. Their farm became a model agricultural estate. In the mid 1890's, however, the farming operations declined.
In 1972, family descendants incorporated the farm as an educational nonprofit organization called Shelburne Farms. Shelburne Farms continues to serve as an educational resource by practicing rural land use that is environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable. It is a non-profit organization hosting an environmental education center, a working 1400 acre farm, and it is a National Historic Landmark. The mansion on the property has been transformed into an inn. Tourists can even stay in Lila's old room.Education
Miss Porter's School